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Royal Caribbean's 228,081-ton Symphony of the Seas is the world's largest cruise ship.

It debuted in March and spent the summer in Europe before coming to the US in November.

The ship's most expensive suite can cost over $170,000, depending on the cruise.

For Royal Caribbean, bigger is better.

In March, the cruise line debuted the world's largest cruise ship, the 228,081-ton Symphony of the Seas, which follows the previous record holder, Royal Caribbean's 226,963-ton Harmony of the Seas. But according to CEO Michael Bayley, a ship's size is a function of the company's desire to pack enough dining, entertainment, and lodging options to make all of its passengers happy - not a goal in itself.

"When we set out to design ships originally in the concept phase, we don't get caught up in size. We really get caught up in concept and what we're trying to deliver," he said in an interview with Business Insider.

At 1,188 feet long and over 215 feet wide, the Symphony of the Seas has a wide variety of food and entertainment options, including 22 restaurants, 42 bars and lounges, theaters, an ice rink, and a zip line.

Here's a look inside the world's largest cruise ship.

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The world's largest cruise ship has robot bartenders and a nine-story zip-line - here's what it looks like inside

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Royal Caribbean's 228,081-ton Symphony of the Seas is the world's largest cruise ship. It debuted in March and spent the summer in Europe before coming to the US in November. The ship's most expensive suite can cost over $170,000, depending on the cruise. For Royal Caribbean, bigger is better.

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The ocean is turning into a plastic soup.

Most plastic pollution at sea starts out on land as litter on beaches, streets and sidewalks. Rain or overwatering flushes that litter through a storm drain system or directly to creeks, streams and rivers that lead to the ocean. After plastics enter the marine environment they slowly photodegrade into smaller pieces that marine life can mistake for food, sometimes with fatal results. Ocean gyres concentrate plastic pollution in five main areas of the world's ocean and various research groups are bringing back alarming data documenting plastics impacts.

Simple local actions can help make an impact to solve this global issue. Join us in protecting the coast and Rise Above Plastics! Check out the resources on these 'RAP' program pages, then get involved with your local Surfrider Foundation Chapter to help protect the coasts and oceans.

Plastic-it's all around us.

It's in our homes, our offices, our vehicles, our yards, our playgrounds. We use it to package food, bottle products, bag produce, make dinnerware and utensils, make toys....

Plastics have undoubtedly helped us to manufacture, package and ship goods more easily, for less money, and in some cases more safely than ever before.

But, plastics pose a significant threat to our planet as well.

Part of the problem is plastic itself. The very qualities that make it an adaptable and durable product to use, also make plastic an environmental nightmare. You see, plastics do not biodegrade. Instead they photodegrade - breaking down under exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays, into smaller and smaller pieces.

Bottom line: with the exception of the small amount that has been incinerated, virtually every piece of plastic that was ever made still exists in some shape or form.

Rise Above Plastics Mission

To reduce the impacts of plastics in the marine environment by raising awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution and by advocating for a reduction of single-use plastics and the recycling of all plastics.

Rise Above Plastic Grassroots Goals

We encourage YOU to help address these globlal issues locally with plastic reductions at home, school, work and for your entire community:

1. Connect with Rise Above Plastics by attending a Surfrider Foundation Chapter meeting or following 'RAP' on Facebook / Twitter.

2. Get involved with your local chapter and/or spread the word to friends and family about the problems with plastics.

3. Be a leader and have the biggest impact by directing a plastic reduction program at school/work or a plastic reduction ordinance with you local city council.

Check out the Rise Above Plastics Activist Toolkit under the 'Resources' tab for detailed tips and ideas.

Ten Ways To Rise Above Plastics

Here are ten easy things you can do to reduce your 'plastic footprint' and help keep plastics out of the marine environment:

1. Choose to reuse when it comes to shopping bags and bottled water. Cloth bags and metal or glass reusable bottles are available locally at great prices.

2. Refuse single-serving packaging, excess packaging, straws and other 'disposable' plastics. Carry reusable utensils in your purse, backpack or car to use at bbq's, potlucks or take-out restaurants.

3. Reduce everyday plastics such as sandwich bags and juice cartons by replacing them with a reusable lunch bag/box that includes a thermos.

4. Bring your to-go mug with you to the coffee shop, smoothie shop or restaurants that let you use them. A great way to reduce lids, plastic cups and/or plastic-lined cups.

5. Go digital! No need for plastic cds, dvds and jewel cases when you can buy your music and videos online.

6. Seek out alternatives to the plastic items that you rely on.

7. Recycle. If you must use plastic, try to choose #1 (PETE) or #2 (HDPE), which are the most commonly recycled plastics. Avoid plastic bags and polystyrene foam as both typically have very low recycling rates.

8. Volunteer at a beach cleanup. Surfrider Foundation Chapters often hold cleanups monthly or more frequently.

9. Support plastic bag bans, polystyrene foam bans and bottle recycling bills.

10. Spread the word. Talk to your family and friends about why it is important to Rise Above Plastics!

Rise Above Plastics Activist Toolkit

Help reduce plastic waste in your community with the Rise Above Plastics Activist Toolkit! This is a step by step guide to creating positive change in your community through reducing single-use plastics. The RAP Toolkit is focused on establishing a plastic bag ban or similar ordinance and it also offers insight on increasing awareness of plastic pollution issues through education and outreach.

RAP Activist Toolkit E-mag version to View or RAP Activist Toolkit PDF version to Print

RAP Facts

The amount of plastic produced from 2000 - 2010 exceeds the amount produced during the entire last century.[1]

Plastic is the most common type of marine litter worldwide.[2], [3]

Up to 80% of the plastic in our oceans comes from land-based sources. [4], [5], [6]

Plastics comprise up to 90% of floating marine debris.[7]

In 2010 about 690,000 tons of waste HDPE plastic "bags, sacks and wraps" were generated in the United States, but only 4.3% of this total was recycled.[8]

Plastics do not biodegrade, but instead break down into small particles that persist in the ocean, absorb toxins, and enter our food chain through fish, sea birds and other marine life.[9]

Plastic bags are problematic in the litter stream because they float easily in the air and water, traveling long distances and never fully breaking down in water.

Cleanup of plastic bags is costly. California spends $25 million annually to landfill discarded plastic bags, and public agencies spend more than $300 million annually in litter cleanup. [10], [11]

It is estimated that Americans go through about 100 billion plastic bags a year, or 360 bags per year for every man, woman and child in the country.[12]

See even more RAP Facts here.

Statewide Preemption

There is a trend happening in the United States that halts local ordinances to address plastic pollution through a mechanism called "preemption", which is effectively when the state government takes the power to regulate on a certain area away from the local municipalities. Over 10 states have already preempted local regulation of single-use bags and/or expanded polystyrene foam and other plastic pollution. However, there are ways to defend local rule and the right to a cleaner community. Find out more here.

Ocean Friendly Restaurants

Surfrider Foundation has launched a new program to recognize restaurants that employ practices friendly to our ocean and coasts. A main goal is eliminating EPS foam foodware (aka Styrofoam) because it is a top item found at our beach cleanups. There are other types of pollution and issues that restaurants can help with so we added criteria such as conserving water and serving responsible food. To learn more please visit our Ocean Friendly Restaurants website.

Hold On To Your Butt

Surfrider Foundation's Hold On To Your Butt program aims to raise awareness about the environmental impact of cigarette butt litter on our ocean, waves and beaches, and to help eliminate cigarette butt litter at the beach and in the ocean. Cigarette butts account for approximately one in every five items collected during beach cleanups. Often littered on our sidewalks and streets, they end up in our storm drains, flowing to our streams, rivers, bays, lagoons and ultimately the ocean. To learn more please visit our Beachapedia page.

RAP on the Web

Rise Above Plastics (RAP) likes to stay connected with our supporters as much as possible and we welcome your feedback and ideas. Here are some of the main places you can find more info and stay connected:

Learn more about Rise Above Plastics on the Coastal Blog, and Beachapedia.

Connect with RAP at facebook.com/riseaboveplastic , twitter.com/riseaboveplstcs and our Plastics Fail page.

Check out Surfrider Foundation 'RAP' Campaigns across the county HERE.

Surfrider Foundation has new public forums where you can share your ideas and ask any questions you may have about RAP.

Visit the Surfrider Foundation Store for Rise Above Plastics reusable bags, reusable bottles and more!

Links to Partners
5 Gyres Algalita Marine Research Foundation BagIt Citizens Campaign for the Environment Clean Seas Coalition Earth Resource Foundation Heal the Bay Kokua Hawaii Foundation Save The Bay - The Bay vs. The Bag

Trent Hodges, Plastic Pollution Manager, thodges@surfrider.org

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Most plastic pollution at sea starts out on land as litter on beaches, streets and sidewalks. Rain or overwatering flushes that litter through a storm drain system or directly to creeks, streams and rivers that lead to the ocean.

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Our Programs

Making a difference every day!

From testing our coastal waters to ensuring that runoff stays in your garden to reducing plastic pollution, Surfrider's programs help ensure that our marine ecosystems are protected.

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Our Programs From testing our coastal waters to ensuring that runoff stays in your garden to reducing plastic pollution, Surfrider's programs help ensure that our marine ecosystems are protected.

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World Oceans Day is a global celebration on June 8 with hundreds of events around the world celebrating our ocean.

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It's time to see if this activist's plan to clean the ocean can really hold water.

Boyan Slat, a 21-year-old who gained worldwide recognition two years ago for his ambitious plan to rid the oceans of plastics, is one step closer to making his idea a reality. His foundation just raised the 1.5 million euros they needed to test their technology in real-life conditions, which will take place in the North Sea this summer.

Slat is founder and president of the Ocean Cleanup , a foundation dedicated to developing advanced technologies to rid the oceans of plastic. For the past three years, he's been working on creating a massive underwater barrier that would collect and remove trash from the Pacific ocean.

The idea works like this: The V-shaped underwater wall would corral trash passing through into one concentrated area, to then be more easily removed and recycled.

If Slat's technology is successfully implemented, it could remove of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch -- or 154 million pounds of trash, according to the organization's almost half estimates -- in just 10 years. Current efforts would take up to 79,000 years to do the same, according to Slat.

The technology would go a long way to help the planet, as at this stage, without any reforms, the world's oceans will contain more plastic than fish by 2050.

But before placing a 60-mile barrier in the Pacific ocean, they need to test it on a smaller scale -- which is where the North Sea test this summer comes in.
Here's Slat in an exclusive interview with The Huffington Post, on the latest step to making his crazy idea to clean the world's oceans a reality.

So, how is this thing actually going to work?
This is the first time we are putting our ideas to the test under real-life conditions.

When I first got the idea in 2012, we had to see if it would even work. We launched a mega expedition to find out how much plastic was in the ocean right now. Crossing the Pacific Garbage Patch from Hawaii to California with 30 vessels, we found a lot more plastic than was previously thought, about 10 tons more.

Then we had to test our technology in controlled environments, producing waves, currents and wind, to mimic real conditions.

Now this step is finally putting our ideas to the test. The North Sea gets stronger storms than the Pacific Ocean -- so if it survives there, it can survive anywhere.

The prototype structure is 100-meters-long, stretching more than five feet above the water and five feet below it, and it will be out there for a year.
What problems still need to be solved?
Even if it works, there will still be the questions of: How do we get the plastics out of the ocean, and what do we then do with them? So w e'll need to deploy a pilot to test our extraction system, likely in Japan in 2017.

If that goes well, that should be the final step to launch the full-scale plan in 2020.

Governments haven't been able to clean our oceans -- how are you able to?
The real question is, how can you not try?

When you're in the middle of the ocean, it should be teeming with sea life. But what you see instead are concentrations 10,000 times higher of plastic than naturally-occurring sea life.
So how big of a deal is this -- what would happen, say, if we left the plastic to keep piling up?
Plastic enters into our food chain, potentially affecting humans. It's causing billions in damage every year, to tourism, to the fishing industry. In fact, according to our estimates, it'd be cheaper to clean up the plastic with our system than the cost of leaving it all where it is right now.
So is it all on your shoulders, or is anyone stepping up to help?
Well, governments are starting to take this seriously. That's why the Dutch government is funding part of the 1.5 million euros we needed to test this in the North Sea. And not only government, but also the offshore oil and gas industry: A Dutch offshore company, Boskalis, is covering part of the project cost, too.

Look, we'll never be able to clean up every last piece of plastic -- but every bit closer we can get, the better.

Cleaning up half of the Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch sounds great -- but then there's the rest of the oceans... What more needs to be done?
Right now, most of the plastics in the oceans are large debris -- 95 percent are big objects. And that's why it's so important to clean them out now: Those large objects, over time, will crumble into small objects, and eventually into micro-plastics -- which are the most dangerous form. It's a ticking time bomb.

So there are two things we as a species need to do: The first is cleaning up the garbage patches -- and that's what we're trying to do at the Ocean Cleanup.

But the second is to make sure no more debris enters in the first place.

For that there's not one solution, but a combination: It's a question of awareness, but also of legislation and technology. With those three combined, we could perhaps get to clean oceans in less than two decades.

BEFORE YOU GO

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21-Year-Old's Miracle Ocean-Cleaning Tech Ready To Get Its Feet Wet

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It's time to see if this activist's plan to clean the ocean can really hold water. Boyan Slat, a 21-year-old who gained worldwide recognition two years ago for his ambitious plan to rid the oceans of plastics, is one step closer to making his idea a reality.

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Tweets by TheOceanCleanup

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risk assessment and safety provisions

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Desert Dreams ends and Motto will continue on with select friends for an extra excursion to the San Rafael Swell.

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Desert Dreams ends and Motto will continue on with select friends for an extra excursion to the San Rafael Swell.

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mt bikes and motorcycles will be provided

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Mt bike guides provided by Holiday River Excursions

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Mt bike guides provided by Holiday River Excursions

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Utah Mountain Bike Trips

The Colorado Plateau... birth place to whitewater rafting has now become the mecca for mountain bike trips around the globe. Utah mountain bike tours offer abundant dirt roads and trail systems take you from canyon rim to river bottom, from mountain passes to creek crossings, marked by some of the most iconic viewscapes of the West. The perfect vacation for the "life is short, play hard" human, who is not interested in merely spectating. Canyonlands bike tours on the White Rim Trail and into The Maze are the classic Utah multi-day mountain bike trips. We also bring folks into the San Rafael Swell for a lesser known but off the charts mountain biking vacations!

Outfitting for these Moab mountain biking tours includes expert guides, meals, and vehicle support for your gear and food (bicycle rental available). The full suspension mountain bikes in our fleet are Specialized . Our collection of Moab, UT mountain bike tours are a net downhill and suitable for the athletic-beginner to the experienced rider. Trust your mountain biking vacations to the outfitters who have been who have been taking riders on Moab mountain biking trips for more than 50 years!

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Moab, Utah mountain bike trips lead you into the best biking terrain on the planet. Trust your mountain biking vacation to the experts at Holiday Expeditions. Bike the White Rim Trail, Maze, San Rafael Swell or the Moab LaSal Loop. Plan your Moab mountain bike tour today!

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All Guests are invited to shop at the Versace nearest.

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All Guests are invited to shop at the Versace nearest.

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register

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Versace Official Online Store | Fashion Clothing & Accessories

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Official Versace Online Shop: an exclusive selection of Women's and Men's Ready to Wear, Shoes, Accessories and the iconic world of Versace Home.

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Xtreme 4x4 Tours is your #1 4x4 tour in Moab. We cover more trail and do more than the other companies in Moab. We have the safest and most built trucks in town

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WELCOME TO SKYDIVE MOAB

CHECK OUT OUR NEW PLANE! HOLDS 14 JUMPERS! ** Please remember to plan on spending 2-4 hours with us! Videos may be 30 mins after you land

Skydive Moab™ reputation speaks for its self. We are the most rated skydiving company in Utah, with over 400 'Excellent' reviews on TripAdvisor. Since we opened in 2003 our focus has been on safety and excellence. In our quest for excellence we have added a new airplane to our fleet, a PAC 750XL. Holds 15 skydivers! And our 4000 square foot facility is new, fully set up for our customer's comfort. Brand new 50" TV's to watch your videos on and the newest GoPro Cameras to shoot your HD Video and Photos. But don't just take our word for it, check out TripAdvisor and see for yourself what others have to say about Skydive Moab!

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL?

Give them a gift that they will NEVER forget, the gift of human flight!

LOCATED IN THE HEART OF THE RED ROCK CANYON COUNTRY

of BEAUTIFUL South Eastern Utah

Moab is a world class destination town, with over 2.5 million visitors each year. Moab is famous for Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Slickrock mountain biking trails, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, Jeeping and so much more.

Skydiving here is a unique and thrilling way to enjoy the stunning scenery that Moab has to offer. When you jump with us you will enjoy a breathtaking 20-25 minute scenic flight on the climb up to jump altitude. You'll see Moab from almost 2 miles above the earth and freefall over Utah's best vacation destination.

MAKE A JUMP

DON'T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT!

See what our Tripadvisor customers have to say about us

YOU'RE NEVER TOO OLD TO ENJOY SKYDIVING

Everyone can do it, no experience necessary!

While there is not an upper age limit, there are some restrictions. You must be at least 18 years old ( no exceptions) and under 250lbs in weight. If you weigh more than 200lbs, but less than 250lbs, please call for additional information. These are purely for legal and safety reasons. Other than that, you're good to take the leap of your life!

SO WHY GO WITH SKYDIVE MOAB?

Because we are family owned & operated with 3 generations of Skydivers. We are a member of the United States Parachute Association and are Better Business Bureau accredited. Our staff has over 50,000 combined skydives and still loves each jump as if it were their first! Skydiving is our passion and we love being able to share with others the sport that has changed our lives.

OUR EXPERIENCED TEAM WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU!

Have any questions? Give us a call and we will walk you through the entire process!

Skydiving is in our blood and we practice our passion with care & attention to detail. It's OK to be nervous or even a little afraid. Just remember, we will take care of you like we would our own family! Skydiving is a thrilling adventure that begins with just a small step.... out of an airplane!

GET IN TOUCH

Not all skydiving centers are created equal

and you need to make sure you know who has your life in their hands!

There is more to consider than just pricing when comparing skydiving centers. We strongly recommend that you research the company you are thinking about skydiving with. We are not associated with any other skydiving center, even if they have a domain name similar to ours.

We are the one and only Skydive Moab™

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CHECK OUT OUR NEW PLANE! HOLDS 14 JUMPERS! ** Please remember to plan on spending 2-4 hours with us! Videos may be 30 mins after you land Skydive Moab™ reputation speaks for its self. We are the most rated skydiving company in Utah, with over 400 'Excellent' reviews on TripAdvisor.

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 6 Lyrically Conscious Artists That Could Spark A Musical Revolution

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 6 Lyrically Conscious Artists That Could Spark A Musical Revolution

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-Lowkey, is an English rapper, and political activist.
-Tekneek is a UK based rapper who speaks about esoteric information related to spiritual growth and consciousness, some of it with a political spin.
-Prince EA, This spoken word piece is called- Everybody dies but not everybody lives. In which he speaks about the importance of following your passion and what it takes to reach your dreams.
-Maverick & Malachi are brothers from the UK, they blend beat-boxing and conscious rap about positivity, spirituality and politics.
-Anthony Anaxagoro is a British born political poet who writes about history and current world events.
-Luke Miller writes a blend of spiritual and political, rap and poetry, with my main intention being to get people to stop, think and explore ideas.

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Raving begins early with UK based company

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Raving begins early with UK based company

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"Morning Gloryville ~ Rave Your Way Into The Day!" is an immersive morning dance experience for those who dare to start their day in style. Nothing wakes you...

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all guests will receive a link to the complete musical lineup

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DESCRIPTION Conscious Evolution Entertainment is Proud to present Desert Dreams. We are coming back to our favorite venue in Moab Ut, and we’re bringing you an excellent line up of music on Friday & Saturday nights. Outdoor adventures by day and an incredible party by night, this event is one of a kind. Camping will be located at Kane Creek Campground again.Friday night Bass music lineupFUJU,EYEAM,PROVOKE,SHIELDS,DANKTONE,DURANDALMore TBASaturday night house & tech lineup                              PETER BOARD,MOTTO,NOSAY,SIZE,MO,PERSUADE,BUTRO,SIN2GR8More TBA

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DESCRIPTION Conscious Evolution Entertainment is Proud to present Desert Dreams. We are coming back to our favorite venue in Moab Ut, and we’re bringing you an excellent line up of music on Friday & Saturday nights. Outdoor adventures by day and an incredible party by night, this event is one of a kind. Camping will be located at Kane Creek Campground again.Friday night Bass music lineupFUJU,EYEAM,PROVOKE,SHIELDS,DANKTONE,DURANDALMore TBASaturday night house & tech lineup                              PETER BOARD,MOTTO,NOSAY,SIZE,MO,PERSUADE,BUTRO,SIN2GR8More TBA

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And Rufus du Sol

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This is the location of a 40 acre facility where all accommodations are provided

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This is the location of a 40 acre facility where all accommodations are provided

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Our originally crafted, safari-style luxury tents and hives provide glamorous outdoor accommodations and striking event spaces anywhere across North America. We are an event solution customized to your needs, whether that's renting a single tent or planning your entire event. From high-class glamour to rustic Wild West, the style is as unique as the backdrop you choose.

Under Canvas® provides for-hire accommodation and event tents for weddings, parties, festivals, corporate events, film shoots, conferences, temporary housing, trade shows, and more. If you're looking for a wedding, retreat or event venue we also have beautiful glamping properties in Montana, Utah, Tennessee, South Dakota, and Arizona plus partner properties in California, Georgia, Texas, New York, and Colorado. Our event bases in Montana, California, and New York service the entire US and even Canada!

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Glamping Tent Rental | Luxury Tent & Hive Rentals | Under Canvas®

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Our originally crafted, safari-style luxury tents and hives provide glamorous outdoor accommodations and striking event spaces anywhere across North America. We are an event solution customized to your needs, whether that's renting a single tent or planning your entire event. From high-class glamour to rustic Wild West, the style is as unique as the backdrop you choose.

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Learn more about your options with our library of vehicles. Click on a vehicle type to see details about amenities, pricing, capacity, and other similar options.

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Pinnacle Helicopters offers a variety of scenic tours daily.  Each tour offers varying lengths and routes.  See backcountry arches, deep canyons and rivers, isolated buttes and much more.

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Pinnacle Helicopters is pleased to offer Charter and Shuttle Service throughout Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona.  Passengers can be picked up at any airport and transported to their desired destination.

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Pinnacle Helicopters - Moab Utah - Moab's Only Helicopter Tour

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Pinnacle Helicopters - Moab Utah - Moab's Only Helicopter Tour

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Pinnacle Helicopters in Moab Utah offers the only helicopter tour and charter service. A variety of helicopter tour options are offered daily.

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On-demand group charter flights

Flying 18 people or more? Group charter with Victor puts you in complete control. You and your group can fly whenever you like, to airports that suit you on the aircraft of your choice. If you'd otherwise be flying business or first class, it could save you money too.

Some of Victor's group charter services

Victor combines the ultimate high-tech booking platform with expert high-touch account management, ensuring that every aspect of our flights were taken care of from the moment we requested a quote.Chief Operating Officer, The world's leading startup and tech event

It's the second time we have worked with Fly Victor, and everything went perfect again. Touring with an international act like the Harlem Globetrotters means an extremely tight schedule. It is a big group, and logistics are complex. Fly Victor adapted to our needs, sending a representative who coordinated the operation on site, from check in to boarding at the plane door. Once again, a smooth and very pleasant experience. Highly recommended.Tour Manager, International sports teams

Omega World Travel have worked with Victor for a while now and I can't fault their service or extensive network of contacts within the air charter industry. They complement our own expertise and our dedicated account manager works with us in partnership to provide the right solution for our clients. Very professional and highly recommended.Groups & Events Manager, leading European Travel Management Company

For a group air charter quote, just contact our in-house experts Bobby Perez and Tom Hill. They'll give you access to over 50,000 aircraft worldwide, and are supported by a global team that's available 24/7.

For US enquiries call Bobby on:
+1 877 275 9336

For UK and rest of world enquiries call Tom on:
+44 (0)20 7384 8550

REQUEST QUOTE

Tom Hill
Head of European Group Charter

Private jet charter, made simple

Search

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Choose the jet, route and price that's just right for you.

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Confirm with a call or a click, whichever you prefer.

Victor is free to use

Widest choice of jets, operators, destinations and deals - flexible, on demand charter by app, web and phone. You're in control. Instantly charter thousands of jets at thousands of airports to maximise your time and ensure totally seamless, totally private travel.

Transparency to trust

Enjoy clear (capped) booking fees, compare specific jet details (including tail number), choose the right flight options. One of the very few ARG/US Certified charter providers worldwide, Victor means smart, ultra-high quality travel.

Protection guaranteed

The very highest level of 24-7 customer care, aircraft/crew replacement guarantees and complete financial protection with every booking (all funds are securely held in a client deposit account).

Group flights with Victor on Instagram

Charter your private jet today

Choose from 7000 aircraft and fly where you want, when you want.

REQUEST QUOTE

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Flying 18 people or more? Group charter with Victor puts you in complete control. You and your group can fly whenever you like, to airports that suit you on the aircraft of your choice. If you'd otherwise be flying business or first class, it could save you money too.

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Staffing and communication needs ...Eventbrite

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Staffing and communication needs ...Eventbrite

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Eventbrite Onsite - Event Equipment, Logistics and Staffing Services | Eventbrite

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Eventbrite gives you all the online tools you need to bring people together for an event and sell tickets.

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What songs evoke a strong emotional response or inspire you? Do you have a theme song that captures the essence of 2012? As simple as it sounds, scientists have found that listening to particularly happy or sad music changes the way we perceive the world. According to researchers from the Netherlands, listening to a song like Bill Withers' "" can create a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Music and mood are inherently linked. Scientists continue to uncover how these influences occur at a neural level. Studies prove that the music we listen to engages a wide range of neurobiological systems that affect our psychology. A recent study by researcher Jacob Jolij and student Maaike Meurs of the Psychology Department of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands shows that music has a dramatic effect on explanatory style and perception.

Jolij and Meurs had their test subjects perform a task in which they had to identify happy and sad 'smiley icons' while listening to happy or sad music. Music turned out to have a great influence on what the subjects perceived. Interestingly, even when a 'neutral face' with no smiley was shown, the subjects often thought they recognized a happy smiley when listening to happy music and a sad one when listening to sad music.

This finding is particularly interesting according to the researchers. Jacob Jolij says, "Seeing things that are not there is the result of top-down processes in the brain. Conscious perception is largely based on these top-down processes: your brain continuously compares the information that comes in through your eyes with what it expects on the basis of what you know about the world. The final result of this comparison process is what we eventually experience as reality. Our research results suggest that the brain builds up expectations not just on the basis of experience but on your mood as well."

Rose Tint My World: Pragmatic Optimism Vs. Pollyannaism

You can dial up a mood, mindset or perception on demand by choosing music that elicits a specific emotional response in you. As an athlete, I developed an ideal mindset for peak performance and used an arsenal of time-tested songs to fortify this alter ego and invincible state of mind. During my training and races it became obvious that even in really horrible weather conditions, or when I was physicallly suffering, that I could use music (and my imagination) to create a parallel universe that had little to do with reality. I used music to stay optimistic and see the glass as perpetually half-full while doing ultra-endurance races. You can use music as a tool when you work out or in your daily life the same way.

We all know the feeling of finding just the right song for that specific moment in time. Through trial-and-error you can find songs that strike a particular emotional chord in you and use this music to create a targeted mindset or explanatory style. Ask yourself: "Does this song make me feel like the glass is half empty or full? Does this song make me feel energized or depressed? What state-of-mind do I want to be in right now?" I have specific songs I'll listen to before a big interview, public speaking...to put me in the right frame of mind.

Our emotional response to music is very individual. Not all 'happy' songs are universally perceived as being uplifting or are guaranteed to put you in a good mood all the time. I choose 'pragmatic optimism' over being a cloying Pollyanna when selecting music. As Joni Mitchell sang, sometimes there is 'comfort in melancholy' and a song that is technically depressing can be cathartic and soothing. Take constant inventory of how a specific song affects your mood and mindset. Play around with lots of songs, artists and different genres knowing that all music is a powerful tool you can use to alter your perceptions at a neural level.

Identify the target mindset you want to click into and then use music to tap into this conscious state-of-mind by entering 'up' through a "trap door" buried at a sub-conscious level. This is called bottom-up processing. Neuroscientists have found that music enters our nervous system through the auditory brainstem and also causes the cerebellum to 'light up' on a brain scan.
Top-Down Vs. Bottom-Up Processing
Researchers at the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University have found that music can enter our consciousness through bottom-up processing. Nina Kraus is a neuroscientist and professor of neurobiology at Northwestern University in Illinois, who studies the effects of music on the nervous system.

Please take a few moments to watch this short video of Nina Kraus explaining how musical sound waves translate directly from our auditory brainstem into correlating brain waves. Music enters your nervous system through your brainstem, which my father (and other neuroscientists like Antonio Damasio) suggest may be the seat of sentience, among many other things.

Nina Kraus, states that "Humans and songbirds" are the only creatures "that automatically feel the beat" of a song. She said, the human heart wants to synchronize to music, the legs want to swing, metronomically, to a beat. "Our bodies," Dr. Kraus concluded, "are made to be moved by music and move to it." I find the current research on songbirds to be really interesting as it relates to human behavior and neurobiology.

Researchers find a correlation between mating birdsongs and human romance

A study released on December 27, 2012 found that a bird listening to birdsong may experience some of the same emotions as a human listening to music. The study was published in Frontiers of Evolutionary Neuroscience. It turns out that songs of unrequited love in music could have parallels to a discordant birdsong in how it hits the amygdala. On the flip side, songs of new love and the rush of limerence may tap into the mesolimbic reward system in both animals and humans.

"We found that the same neural reward system is activated in female birds in the breeding state that are listening to male birdsong, and in people listening to music that they like," says Sarah Earp, who led the research at Emory University. For male birds listening to another male's song, it was a different story. They had an amygdala response that looks similar to that of people when they hear discordant, unpleasant music.

During the non-breeding season, both sexes of sparrows use song to establish and maintain dominance in relationships. During the breeding season, however, a male singing to a female is almost certainly courting her, while a male singing to another male is challenging an interloper. "Scientists since the time of Darwin have wondered whether birdsong and music may serve similar purposes, or have the same evolutionary precursors," Earp notes.

Sarah Earp reviewed studies that mapped human neural responses to music through brain imaging. The study used a marker to map and quantify neural responses in the mesolimbic reward system in male and female white-throated sparrows listening to a male bird's song at various stages of the breeding season.

"The neural response to birdsong appears to depend on social context, which can be the case with humans as well," Earp says. "Both birdsong and music elicit responses not only in brain regions associated directly with reward, but also in interconnected regions that are thought to regulate emotion. That suggests that they both may activate evolutionarily ancient mechanisms that are necessary for reproduction and survival."

Free to be you and me. . . Choose any music that inspires you.

We all have songs we're embarassed to love. Who cares?! Don't be self-conscious about ' guilty pleasures' or 'uncool' song choices on your playlists. If you select music for the sake of seeming 'cool', you are denying yourself the primal benefits of heartfelt, innate bottom-up processing.

The music you fill your mind with should come from an authentic, soulful place that has nothing to do with pretense. This is common sense. Besides, with headphones you can listen to whatever you want in your own 'private idaho'. No one needs to know what songs resonate with you or why.

That said, I just confessed to my 18-year old niece, Annelise, (who I thought only likes 'indie records') that " We are Never Ever Getting Back Together" by Taylor Swift is currently my favorite running song. She admitted with a sheepish giggle that it's her favorite work out song, too.

What were your favorite songs of 2012? I suggest making a list of your top 10 of 2012 and consciously reinforce all the emotions and associations you have with these songs from the past year. You can permanently imprint these memories like a time capsule of the people, places, and events of 2012.

If you had hardship this past year, like so many of us did, make a playlist that bows to those emotions but is infused with any glimmers of 'pragmatic optimism' you can muster. "" by Ed Sheeran is my song that fits the 2012 niche of a 'downer' song that is somehow uplifting and great to run to.

On the flip side, " Starships" by Nicki Minaj was my favorite adrenaline rush running song of the summer. Even now, in the middle of winter, it gives me a turbo-charged feeling of wide open blue skies and the freedom of running along the ocean. " Cherish" by Madonna from 1989 still taps the nostalgic exuberance of summertime when I was younger. Watching the Herb Ritts video always takes me right back to that era and puts me in a good mood on demand to this day.

What songs remind you of summer and sunshine? What music videos do this for you? Find them on YouTube or make a playlist and create a neurobiological flashback. Making a playlist of songs that remind you of summertime in the dead of winter and working out to them is a healthy way to combat the effects of SAD ( Seasonal Affective Disorder). To amplify this experience at a neural level try applying some sunscreen to trigger the 'summertime' associated olfactory-memories housed in your most primal sub-conscious brain. The smell of Coppertone always reminds me of clear blue skies, being a kid, and sunny weather. I wear sunscreen year-round to protect against UV damage, but more to keep me in a summer mood. Aromatherapy is another way you can combat SAD in the wintertime.

One caveat, by overplaying any song you will dilute the original neural network associated with that song by constantly embedding it with an overlay of new memories. This is why a song that you haven't heard in decades can take you right back to all the emotions, and feelings of the original time. (The same is true with scent.) If you want a song to have an emotional impact linked to a specific person, place or experience from your past listen to it sparingly and make it part of a time capsule memory vault that you consciously preserve.
Randomness of song choices increases Dopamine
Randomness in music has been linked to increases in dopamine. Predictability on a playlist can make songs you love seem mundane by reducing anticipation and create a rut. Once you've memorized the sequence of songs there is no mystery, which can create monotony. "That song, again?" You can turn your iPod into a Las Vegas-like slot machine delivering hits of dopamine by mixing it up with shuffle mode. Having a perfect song randomly come on shuffle mode, Pandora or Spotify will give you a dopamine rush and that lucky "Jackpot" feeling of reward.

Your 'power song' or anthem won't always hit the spot. Remember to mix it up. Some people only like to run to songs with a BPM (Beats Per Minute) that correlates with stomping feet of an upbeat workout. I find that playing a slower song with a strong emotional resonance can actually supercharge a workout that I'm lollygagging through. Try it and see if it works for you. Again, remember to play around with all genres of music to find songs that work for you in that moment. But, also encode some 'power songs' to be anthems that you reserve for times when you need a trigger that cues a specific state of mind or alter-ego of peak performance on demand.
Technical advice for working out with a music player
Using a decent pair of headphones will greatly enhance your musical experience, especially when working out. I find that 'ear buds' jiggle around too much and need constant readjusting when I'm running. It's annoying. I recommend using over-the-head 'vertical' style headphones. They won't budge once you slide the ear pieces into place and are hassle-free.

Also, if you put the headphone cord underneath your shirt it won't dangle and get caught on your thumbs when you're jogging or on the elliptical. I recommend using a neoprene carrying case that sits snugly just above your pelvic bone (just below your belly button) to hold your music player in place when you're working out. This allows you to be hands-free and not be annoyed by the dangling cord.

These are seemingly trivial things but they can make a huge difference by allowing you to lose yourself in the music without being distracted by the technology delivering it.
Conclusion
Music is one of the most powerful neurobiological tools we have to change our mood, mindset, and behavior. What is the impact of listening to music that promotes violence, hate or agression on our minds? How does this music shape the minds and explanatory style of our children?

I grew up in the 'Soft-Rock' 70s when artists like: The Carpenters, ABBA, John Denver, Cat Stevens, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Olivia Newton-John... were in heavy rotation on the radio, turntable or 8-track. This music greatly influenced the mindset and explanatory style of me and my peers.

I'm not on a crusade to restrict musical expression like Tipper Gore did with the "Parent Music Resource Council" (PMRC). However, as a Parent Paying Attention (PPA) I want to make sure that my 5-year old daughter grows up listening to as much music that promotes loving-kindness as possible. The songs our children listen to literally shape the neural networks of their minds and their perceptions of the world.

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The Neuroscience of Music, Mindset, and Motivation

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What songs evoke a strong emotional response or inspire you? Do you have a theme song that sums up 2012? Scientists have confirmed that music has the power to alter your explanatory style and perceptions of the world.

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By Nicole D'Alessandro, Ecowatch
It seems nearly impossible to escape plastic in our every day lives, doesn't it?

And we can't escape plastic pollution, either.

Plastic is literally at my fingertips all day long. Plastic keyboard. Plastic framed computer monitor. Plastic mouse. The amount of plastic I encounter daily doesn't end there. Chances are, you can relate. Plastic is an epidemic.

But where does all this plastic go? We ship some of it overseas to be recycled. Quite a bit ends up in landfills. And more than you can imagine ends up on the loose as plastic pollution, eventually making its way into our waterways.

Tiny plastic beads used in hundreds of toiletries like facial scrubs and toothpastes have even been found in our Great Lakes -the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world! Giant garbage patches (one twice the size of Texas) can be found floating around in the oceans. And all this plastic pollution is not only a problem for the earth, it's bad for our health.
Here are 22 Preposterous Facts About Plastic Pollution:

Over the last ten years we have produced more plastic than during the whole of the last century.

50 percent of the plastic we use, we use just once and throw away.

Plastic accounts for around 10 percent of the total waste we generate.

The production of plastic uses around eight percent of the world's oil production (bioplastics are not a good solution as they require food source crops).

Americans throw away 35 billion plastic water bottles every year (source: Brita)

Annually approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide. More than one million bags are used every minute.

46 percent of plastics float (EPA 2006) and it can drift for years before eventually concentrating in the ocean gyres.

It takes 500-1,000 years for plastic to degrade.

Billions of pounds of plastic can be found in swirling convergences in the oceans making up about 40 percent of the world's ocean surfaces. 80 percent of pollution enters the ocean from the land.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is located in the North Pacific Gyre off the coast of California and is the largest ocean garbage site in the world. This floating mass of plastic is twice the size of Texas, with plastic pieces outnumbering sea life six to one.

Plastic constitutes approximately 90 percent of all trash floating on the ocean's surface, with 46,000 pieces of plastic per square mile.

One million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals are killed annually from plastic in our oceans.

44 percent of all seabird species, 22 percent of cetaceans, all sea turtle species and a growing list of fish species have been documented with plastic in or around their bodies.

In samples collected in Lake Erie, 85 percent of the plastic particles were smaller than two-tenths of an inch, and much of that was microscopic. Researchers found 1,500 and 1.7 million of these particles per square mile.

Virtually every piece of plastic that was ever made still exists in some shape or form (with the exception of the small amount that has been incinerated).

Some of these compounds found in plastic have been found to alter hormones or have other potential human health effects.
Here are 10 Ways to "Rise Above Plastic:

Choose to reuse when it comes to shopping bags and bottled water. Cloth bags and metal or glass reusable bottles are available locally at great prices.

Refuse single-serving packaging, excess packaging, straws and other "disposable" plastics. Carry reusable utensils in your purse, backpack or car to use at bbq's, potlucks or take-out restaurants.

Reduce everyday plastics such as sandwich bags and juice cartons by replacing them with a reusable lunch bag/box that includes a thermos.

Bring your to-go mug with you to the coffee shop, smoothie shop or restaurants that let you use them, which is a great way to reduce lids, plastic cups and/or plastic-lined cups.

Go digital! No need for plastic cds, dvds and jewel cases when you can buy your music and videos online.

Seek out alternatives to the plastic items that you rely on.

Recycle. If you must use plastic, try to choose #1 (PETE) or #2 (HDPE), which are the most commonly recycled plastics. Avoid plastic bags and polystyrene foam as both typically have very low recycling rates.

Support plastic bag bans, polystyrene foam bans and bottle recycling bills.

Spread the word. Talk to your family and friends about why it is important to reduce plastic in our lives and the nasty impacts of plastic pollution.

Watch Rise Above Plastics-Plastics Kill from Surfrider Foundation:

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22 Facts About Plastic Pollution (And 10 Things We Can Do About It)

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And we can't escape plastic pollution, either. Plastic is literally at my fingertips all day long. Plastic keyboard. Plastic framed computer monitor. Plastic mouse. The amount of plastic I encounter daily doesn't end there. Chances are, you can relate. Plastic is an epidemic.

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(The picture is a representation of a dead whale from ingestion of plastic created by Greenpeace Philippines. Credit: Greenpeace Philippines)

By Jess Murray,
This is yet another shocking reminder of the ocean plastic pollution problem, as a dead sperm whale has been found with 29kg of plastic waste inside its digestive system.

Plastic bags and rubbish sacks were amongst the waste items found inside the 32ft whale that washed up on a beach in Spain. After the mammal was found in southeast Murcia in February, an investigation was carried out by the El Valle Wildlife Rescue Centre, who have now concluded that the whale died as a result of being unable to digest the huge amount of plastic waste inside its stomach and intestine.

The investigation also found that the whale weighed seven tonnes when it was found, which is in high contrast to the 45 tonne weight of an average male sperm whale, which ordinarily feeds on large squid, fish and sharks.

This eye-opening discovery has now prompted a campaign highlighting the dangers of dumping rubbish in the sea by the regional Murcia government, which is also backed by the EU's European Environment Agency and the European Commission's European Fund for Regional Development.

The environment director-general of Murcia, Consuelo Rosauro, , "The presence of plastics in seas and oceans is one of the greatest threats to the conservation of wildlife throughout the world, since many animals are trapped in the trash or ingest large amounts of plastic, which end up causing their death. The region of Murcia is no stranger to this problem, which we must tackle through clean-up actions and - above all - citizen awareness."

According to , at least 30 sperm whales are known to have washed up on European beaches in the last few years, which includes 13 in northern Germany in 2016, intensifying the urgent need for us to act now on drastically reducing our plastic consumption, before it's too late.

Learn more: 22 Facts About Plastic Pollution (And 10 Things We Can Do About It)

I'm Jess Murray, wildlife conservationist, photographer and writer. Follow my Facebook page and Instagram account to be part of the journey. I like to document the natural world and create awareness through my writing so that your future can be sustainable and positive.

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Whale With 29kg Of Plastic In Its Stomach Highlights Our Plastic Pollution Problem

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(The picture is a representation of a dead whale from ingestion of plastic created by Greenpeace Philippines. Credit: Greenpeace Philippines) By Jess Murray, This is yet another shocking reminder of the ocean plastic pollution problem, as a dead sperm whale has been found with 29kg of plastic waste inside its digestive system.

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Anthony Motto Conscious Revolution, Imagine Nation, V2AM. San Francisco, Salt Lake City. Anthony has been busy rocking festivals and events all over the continent for several years, From Lightning in a Bottle, Electric Forest, Burning Man, Coachella, and the mega festivals, to private parties in remote locations of the wilderness, to night clubs and just about anything in between.

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Arches, just minutes away from campsite.

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Arches, just minutes away from campsite.